x
“You do,” I assured him quite calmly. “That is why I am here.”368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Wt2vfJhdh
“How are you acquainted with any of them?” He asked quite seriously, and only368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ5AFEwpb38
then did his eyes seem to notice my hair, which was blue all over except for its still368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXY1aeyDYk3
black tips. “You’re quite the odd one.” He admitted, while he was far from what anyone368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs9L1dgWBfG
would deem as ´normal´. “And I do not need my bigger glasses to see that.”368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlkLntduLWa
“Here. This is for you,” I tried to hand him my big notebook, the one that had been368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc4jjoMSh3h
resting safely beside me. Almost falling out of it was a whole compendium of drawings368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2OHK20BxBR
and other poorly attached notes. “Father wanted you to have it.” I nudged it towards368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtTr26oDVvB
him. “He also wanted me to go with you.”368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp68cSVo8oM
“Father, you say?” He cautiously asked as he refused the offer, “I am afraid I will have368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt71be4zObI
to doubt that. You see little one, I am not one with many friends, let alone associates.”368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyu2oUdOm3l
He then took a few steps back “No, you must be mistaken. But fret not, you may368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNW1DW6Mcye
accompany me back to my place, if you so wish of course. After all, it is not proper to368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡinZc47kqic
leave one so small and meek behind, especially in a place like this. Old Gorliochi over368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhpqzTP3isu
there,” His eyes went straight towards that beast; this one was completely relaxed even368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlmyQ1HkC4H
if its jaws kept finding one thing or another to chew on, “he can easily carry the both368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsS2tWhRoWK
of us for as long as necessary. He has been with me for many seasons now, lending a368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuwxfkQyhLf
hand in the carrying of all sorts of things.”368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAaiRwHCG93
He smiled, but it was a ruse that could not hope to work on the likes of one such as368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMi1cWrJVWp
me. “Like all sorts of flowers and fungi that I so often like to come and find in these368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEzjO455CjO
parts... Or even -”368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3lNFCIvNkS
“You are no mere flower picker or mushroom gatherer.” I said as I kept forcing that368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxHuRmtxrJ4
notebook onto him. “Go on, take it. You are the Thinker-Tinker, and you are meant368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwpNU7yziod
to read it.”368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVrGtbTV5dc
A short silence stood between the two of us ...368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO9wYbrS9H2
“Your father, who is he then?” He eventually asked, even if his interests appeared368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqt7JPQPl8M
to be dwindling the more he was going through those notes and drawings, “I know368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ76qXxwVdea
many of the names inscribed here.” He kept confessing, as he tipped his glasses just368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc9zZMIR5Wr
in time to prevent them from falling off his curved nose; and then he looked at me368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡArwPe5GTT7
with refulgent eyes: “Some of these people, they are in these drawings of yours as well!368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnWJnsBcmtv
And this man here; a Kharn. He is my friend. A dear one.”368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBe6SINPsIf
“That is Father,” I said to his amazement ...368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGCLGXfeOt
A long pause took over his person.368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrJQBi8940N
Many of his past fears but also promises came to haunt him, and without a368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQyyV89SAoP
moment’s notice, his head became occupied with all sorts of questions and possibilities.368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfOyARJCFHf
There were so many ´If ’s´ and ´Buts´ and ´What’s´ swirling in his mind - and in368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXm2c8X5F3X
the end all I heard him think to himself was: “This is likely to bring me quite the368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS8kuPMSlwO
unwanted trouble, but if there is any chance of truth to it, at all; of a real connection368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh05PRS64La
between this little one and that ol’ fool... What choice do I have?”368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv4wG2AfK3P
“Who are you girl?” his eyes swelled up as he confronted me again, “and how did368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIeI8ocL7E
you get your hands on all this?”368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz55sHIZpZN
“As I said, all of it was wrought by my hand.”368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnituLDAQxf
“You wrote...” His eyes travelled between note and drawing alike “all this?368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDPt1EQcujE
What made you do such a thing?” He asked with his eyes now trembling with368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9f6qlUCWha
restlessness.368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkxIpNMqYvX
“And then you will read it?”368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuBVxziwcVg
“Oh, I most definitely will. The spark of curiosity has already been lit inside me.”368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWwdwHz9iWb
He then reassured me further, “My interest has already peaked way past the point of368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdMuTpuLXFq
arousal, don’t you worry.” And after he weighed all of it with both hands; “But I will368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv2rqy7efMk
have to do so back at my place. You understand that this is quite a lot to go through?”368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXNmnGTuNEs
“Quite,” I replied after I added a few extra notes I had on my person.368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3qhy5E7ndZ
“Besides, I don’t have my reading glasses on me.” He added somewhat flippantly368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0j1ScVSE1p
“I mean why would I bring them; you know? It’s not like I get to meet little girls368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX8E8jKpBNZ
carrying tomes for me regularly.”368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIRLXtgb1Hk
I nodded in concordance, and then he suggested we should make haste. Insisting, as368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTHVHYFOrFK
we made our way to that beast, that I should tell him, or rather prepare him, for what368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI8JrM9QEEZ
could be in store inside that notebook.368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNT7FRGBKEB
